CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Army attackman John Glesener earned high praise on this morning’s Patriot League preseason teleconference as the junior collected Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year plaudits heading into the 2014 season. Sophomore face-off specialist Alex Daly joined Glesener on the preseason all-league team, while the Black Knights landed fourth in the conference’s preseason poll.

Patriot League newcomer Loyola will enter its first season in the conference as the favorite after the Greyhounds were picked for the top spot in the poll. Loyola garnered 123 points and 13 first-place votes to finish ahead of the participants in last year's Patriot League title game, Bucknell and Lehigh. The runner-up Bison had three first-place votes and 109 points to edge the two-time defending champion Mountain Hawks with two first-place votes and 108 points. The rest of the poll order featured Army (86), Colgate (73), Navy (56), Holy Cross (42), Lafayette (35) and Boston University (16).

Glesener was not the only player to win an individual award, as Loyola senior defenseman Joe Fletcher took home the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year award. Both players highlighted the Preseason All-Patriot League Team which also included Bucknell junior David Dickson and Loyola senior Justin Ward at attack, Bucknell sophomore Thomas Flibotte, Holy Cross junior Terry McKenna and Colgate senior Jimmy Ryan in the midfield, Bucknell senior Jackson Place and Lehigh senior Ty Souders joining Fletcher on defense, Army sophomore Alex Daly as the face-off specialist, Navy senior Pat Kiernan as the defensive midfield specialist and Lehigh junior Matt Poillon at goalkeeper.

Seven of the preseason All-League selections were named preseason All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse in December. Fletcher made the first team, Glesener, Ward and Souders were on the second team and Kiernan, Place and Poillon earned a spot on the third team. Dickson received honorable mention preseason All-America status.

Seven of the preseason selections also earned first-team All-Patriot League status last year, with Glesener named the Offensive Player of the Year. Two others were second-team selections, while Fletcher was named the Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team selection in the ECAC with Ward earning second-team honors from the Greyhounds' former conference.

Voting for the preseason poll and individual awards was conducted by Patriot League men's lacrosse head coaches and sports information directors, who could not vote for their own teams or student-athletes.

Glesener enters this spring six points shy of 100 for his career, which has enjoyed an impressive two-year run thus far. A 2013 honorable mention All-America selection, Glesener was a top 25 Tewaaraton Award finalist and led the Patriot League and ranked sixth in the nation averaging 4.36 points per game. In addition, his 2.14 assists per game landed third in the league and 12th in the NCAA. Glesener totaled a team-best 61 points on 31 goals and 30 assists last season, tallying at least one point in all 14 games. The Camillus, N.Y., native recorded seven hat tricks in 2013

One of the league’s breakout stars a year ago, Daly developed into a top face-off specialist as a rookie. Along with finishing the year ranked 10th in the country with a .586 face-off percentage, he was one of two freshmen to earn first team All-Patriot League honors in 2013. Daly collected a team-high 75 ground balls last season, in addition to tallying five points on two goals and three assists.

In addition to Glesener and Daly, the Black Knights welcome back goalkeeper Sam Somers and long stick midfielder Jimbo D’Aprile, who both landed on the 2013 second team All-Patriot League.

The Black Knights open the 2014 season on Sunday, Feb. 9, as the team welcomes Massachusetts to Michie Stadium. Face-off is set for 12 p.m.